On which I write about the books I read, science, science fiction, fantasy, and anything else that I want to. Currently trying to read and comment upon every novel that has won the Hugo and International Fantasy awards.

Monday, September 5, 1983

Comments: 1983 was one of the few times that members of the "Big Three" of Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein went head to head in the Hugo Awards, and as far as I know, it was the only time all three were competing against each other in the same category. Sadly, all three were nominated for work that was clearly not up to their best standards, and realistically none of them should have won. In the end, Asimov took home the rocket statue for the decidedly mediocre Foundation's Edge. Asimov's win in the Best Novel category was possibly partially driven by the win for James Gunn's win in the Best Nonfiction, Related, or Reference Work category for his biography of Asimov, Isaac Asimov: The Foundations of Science Fiction.

Jim Henson returned to the Hugo nominating ballot in 1983, this time for the fantasy film The Dark Crystal, which was represented twice in the nominations: once for the film itself in the Best Dramatic Presentation category, and also in the Best Nonfiction, Related, or Reference Work category for the book The World of the Dark Crystal by J.J. Llewellyn. It didn't win in either category, losing to James Gunn's aforementioned biography of Isaac Asimov in the Nonfiction, Related, or Reference Work category, and losing the Dramatic Presentation award to the Philip K. Dick inspired movie Blade Runner. 1983 also marks the second time a Star Trek feature length movie had been nominated for a Hugo award, but had lost.

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